🍣 Toronto’s Most Hidden Gem of a Family-Style Japanese Restaurant

I’ve been a loyal fan of 📍 Maru Japanese Bistro since it opened in 2021 (you can find it in my earlier posts!). Tucked away on Queen near Greenwood — kind of a quiet corner of the east end, right at the edge of trendy Leslieville. You wouldn’t expect such an unassuming street to be home to refined Japanese cuisine… but over four years later, they’ve truly blossomed into something special 🌸 They’re open for both lunch and dinner, with different menus for each. Lunch offers more sushi rolls, while dinner is more refined and minimalist. They frequently introduce new dishes, so every visit brings a pleasant surprise! Dinner Exclusive — Nori Canapé (a must-try fried nori taco sushi 🍘) Options: salmon, scallop, snow crab, bluefin tuna You can’t go wrong with any! If you’re with a group, try them all — seriously delicious. The crispy nori pairs perfectly with the fresh seafood. Never gets old. Chirashi Don — $40 Packed with premium fish! The selection changes daily — today I was lucky: bluefin tuna, scallop, squid, uni (sea urchin), yellowtail, red snapper… All thick-cut, incredibly fresh. Even the rice is seasoned with care 🍚✨ Katsu of the Day — their fried items also change daily Today’s options: fried red snapper, prawn tempura, fried snow crab I went for the whole fried snapper with curry rice ($35) — super crispy outside, tender fish inside. Loved the sweet corn rice too — such attention to detail 🌽❤️ Dessert is a limited-time collab with Roselle Cakes — definitely worth trying! 📍 1402 Queen St E, Toronto #TorontoFood #JapaneseCuisine #Toronto #HiddenGem #MaruBistro